In plain sight

Three home-office centers carve space from other rooms

As computers become the norm for doing homework, many parents want to supervise their children as they surf the Web ― some even miss helping kids with assignments. The home-office setups on these two pages address this change in different ways, ranging from retrofitting a hall closet to designing multifunctional workstations in or adjoining the kitchen.

All tuck into rooms that get plenty of traffic. In addition, each uses durable, easy-to-clean work surfaces that coordinate with surrounding rooms. The stations also double as message centers for notes, to-do lists, or a calendar.

MAKING A GOOD WORKSTATIONBlend the workspace with its surroundings and keep it free of clutter.

Consider enclosing a home office in an armoire or closet, adding a phone jack and outlets.